Bell Island

However, founding a country was no simple matter. A lack of people had always been a major problem.

Although El had suggested a solution, Many Countries was situated in such a remote location that it lacked sufficient intelligence. How could they quickly learn which places had been invaded by Pirates and where disaster victims needed rescuing?

Thus, Charlotte Lingling made a decision: she would release those Pirates who still yearned for the sea back onto the ocean. In exchange, whenever they discovered an island that had been invaded by Pirates, they were to contact her via Den Den Mushi.

The departing Pirates solemnly promised that they would never violate the agreement, though Milim did not have high hopes for it.

Milim felt that anyone with the word "thief" in their title was not someone who could be trusted easily, but the eventual outcome left her utterly astonished.

While most people would not keep their promises, some always would.

Ring, ring.

A ringing sound came from the Den Den Mushi beside the office.

The sound not only caught Charlotte Lingling's attention, but also drew Milim's gaze from the manga she had been boredly reading on the sofa nearby!

Lingling took one look at the Den Den Mushi and knew that one of the Pirates she had sent out was calling.

She answered the Den Den Mushi, and a deep voice came through.

"King Linlin, have you been well lately?"

"That depends on whether you can bring me good news." Lingling lowered her head with a smile, her tone gentle.

During her time as king, Charlotte Lingling's temper had gradually become gentler and more approachable.

Perhaps that was the responsibility of being a king. That responsibility had turned Charlotte Lingling into a qualified king at an unimaginable pace.

No longer was she the incomparably ferocious female Pirate from the original story.

"I'm not sure whether this counts as good news." The voice on the other end of the Den Den Mushi was hard to describe.

Lingling paused. "Now that you put it that way, you've made me curious."

"I'm currently on Bell Island. Not long ago, all the residents here were robbed of their possessions."

"But what puzzles me is why they aren't sad at all. They even seem rather delighted." The Pirate captain spoke in utter confusion.

"If it's as you say, then that truly is unbelievable. Could it be because of a Devil Fruit ability?" Hearing the Pirate captain's strange account, even Lingling was full of question marks.

They had been robbed of all their treasure, yet instead of being sad, they were happy. Other than being affected by a Devil Fruit ability, Lingling could think of no other explanation.

"King Linlin, you should have an Eternal Pose for Bell Island, right?"

"Of course, we have one here!"

"Then we'll leave this island to you."

"Understood!" After saying that, Lingling hung up the Den Den Mushi, returned to her seat, and rested her chin on her hand as she thought without pause.

At that moment, Milim could no longer hold herself back. She tossed aside the manga in her hand and slowly walked up to Lingling!

"Lingling, that island sounds interesting. Let me go bring all the residents there back."

Looking at Milim, whose face plainly screamed I'm curious, Lingling fell silent for several seconds before suddenly speaking. "That island is very strange. I'm not comfortable letting you go alone. I have a feeling you'll mess things up. Take El with you!"

Milim put her hands on her hips and puffed out her cheeks as she retorted, clearly annoyed at being underestimated. "Hey, hey! What's there to worry about? With my strength, how could I possibly mess up something so trivial?"

"Lingling, you're underestimating me too much, aren't you?"

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"Ah! I misspoke. Milim, you're so amazing—how could you possibly fail at such a trivial matter? I'm only sending El along to help you deal with a few minor things!" Lingling skillfully began to placate her.

"If you put it that way, then I suppose it can't be helped." Milim answered proudly, looking delighted after being placated.

Easy enough. Lingling chuckled inwardly.

Before long, Milim and El set off for Bell Island aboard a ship!

Naturally, another five or six large ships followed behind them to transport people.

Aboard the ship, Milim picked up the food beside her and savored it, while El stood nearby with a strong sense that things were going terribly wrong!

El's heart was filled with bitterness. King Linlin, you want me to keep Big Sister in line? Are you kidding me?

If Big Sister got willful, I wasn't confident I could persuade her at all.

Spring Island was not far from Bell Island. A normal ship could reach it in two or three days, but Milim's ship picked up speed because they were in a hurry.

After only a little over a day, they had arrived at Bell Island.

Milim's eyes sparkled as she skipped onto Bell Island, pointing toward the town while she ran. "The people on this island don't get sad even when their money is stolen? That sounds super interesting! El, hurry up!"

"Coming, Big Sister!" El directed the ship to dock at the shore while hurriedly chasing after Milim.

The two soon entered the town, only to find that it was completely different from what the Pirate captain had described. The villagers all wore miserable expressions. Some were even gaunt with hunger, looking as though they might die at any moment.

There was absolutely none of that happiness.

"How could this be? Didn't they say everyone was happy?" Milim looked at the frail villagers in confusion!

"Big Sister, how could anyone be happy after being robbed? There must be some other reason behind this. We'll find out once we ask around." Looking at the scene before him, El could not help recalling his own childhood, when he had not had enough to eat.

"Oh! Then let's ask." Milim had completely abandoned the use of her brain and could not be bothered to think too much.

In Milim's mind, aside from strength, nothing else mattered. So under normal circumstances, she never bothered to use that rusted brain of hers.

El was the first to walk up to an older villager and ask, "Sir, did something happen here?"

"Alas!" The old man sighed and glanced up at El, clearly unwilling to explain.

El took out 1,000 Belly from his pocket, handed it to the old man, and asked again.

This time, the old man looked at the banknotes in his hand before finally speaking.

"What else could it be? We were robbed by pirates, of course."

"But didn't I hear that you did so willingly?" El asked again.

The old man pursed his lips and spoke with some embarrassment. "I was willing at the time, but now I regret it somewhat."

That only left El more confused. "If you regret it now, then why were you willing back then?"

"Alas, the ones who came to loot us were the Nine Snake Pirates, and the Nine Snake Pirates are undoubtedly the stars of the seas—the treasures of the seas." The old man spoke slowly, his eyes filled with infatuation.

"At the time, I saw Gloriosa, the captain of the Nine Snake Pirates. The moment I laid eyes on her, I fell deeply in love with her."

"I was willing to give her everything I had, including all my treasures. But not long after they left, I began to regret it."

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